Instagram’s over 2 billion monthly active users provide a huge audience to help you build a community around your brand. However, the large numbers do not guarantee consistent engagement.

You must have an effective Instagram content strategy to boost your visibility on the platform and entice users to interact with your profile.

This article covers how to get more engagement on Instagram, including using hashtags and posting during optimal times.

Pro Tip: An effective way to boost your Instagram engagement is by promoting your profile and content on external platforms.

SociableKIT provides a seamless way to showcase your Instagram feed on your website or personal blog to direct visitors to your profile. Our widget is easy to set up and customize, taking about two minutes even for a beginner.

Create a SociableKIT widget and curate an engaging Instagram feed for your website visitors! 

What Does Engagement Mean on Instagram?

Instagram engagement simply means the number of people who interact with your content. This can be through liking, commenting, or sharing your Instagram posts. It shows how people connect or resonate with your content.

For example, Instagram users who share your posts could be interpreted to mean they find your content insightful to the extent that they want their friends and family to consume it.

Generally, Instagram engagement is expressed as a percentage of the number of people who saw your post. For instance, a 10% engagement rate means that at least one in 10 people who saw your post were interested enough to like, share, or comment.

Instagram profile displayed on a laptop on a bed.

Why Instagram Engagement Matters for Brands?

Ever wondered why digital and social media marketers highlight engagement rates when reporting on Instagram performance?

Here are the reasons:

  • Increased Visibility: High engagement rates signal Instagram’s algorithm that your posts contain valuable information. The algorithm promotes such posts to look-alike audiences, expanding your organic reach.
  • Enhanced Credibility and Social Proof: High engagement rates help establish your Instagram profile brand as credible and trustworthy, encouraging potential customers to trust your business.
  • Feedback Loop: Instagram engagement helps you gather insight into customer preferences and behaviors, which you can use to refine your content marketing strategy and product offerings to increase conversions.
  • Brand Loyalty: High engagement on Instagram creates opportunities for converting your audience into a loyal fan base, ensuring repeat interactions and long-term customer relationships.
A person scrolling through their Instagram feed on a smartphone, viewing scenic travel photos.

How to Find Your Engagement Rate on Instagram

Tracking your Instagram engagement rate helps determine how users interact with your content. Also, it provides insights for refining your Instagram content strategy to boost engagement.

Below, let’s discuss the two main ways to calculate your Instagram engagement rate:

1. Manual Method

Here’s a simple guide for calculating your engagement rate on Instagram:

  • Determine the period over which you want to calculate your Instagram engagement—daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • Find the total interactions during that period— likes, shares, and comments.
  • Determine your total impressions.
  • Use the formula below to calculate your average engagement rate:

Engagement Rate (%) =Total Interactions / Total Impressions x 100

2. Third-Party Tools

Use social media management tools like Hootsuite and Social Sprout to track your engagement on Instagram. 

The tools come with built-in analytics that track and calculate your engagement in real-time. With these tools, you can also easily track your median engagement on Instagram (month over month).

Close-up of hand holding phone with Juneaye's Instagram profile open.

How to Boost Engagement on Instagram with Content

High-quality content is the best way to enhance user engagement on Instagram. People who resonate with your content will likely follow your Instagram profile, growing your audience. Also, it provides an opportunity to convert your followers into a loyal fan base.

Let’s discuss how to grow on Instagram using content:

1. Incorporate Dynamic Visuals

Use high-quality images and videos to grab your audience’s attention and encourage them to interact with your posts. For example, leverage Instagram Reels to give your audience a sneak peek into your production process.

This helps reinforce your credibility and attract potential leads that you can introduce into your content marketing conversion funnel.

2. Leverage Diverse Content Types

Instagram supports various types of posts, including Stories, Reels, native videos, carousels, and static images. Each format offers unique ways to boost your engagement on Instagram.

For example, you could use Instagram carousels to share a case study sequentially from the first to the last slide. Instagram Stories are effective for sharing limited-time offers to boost engagement.

3. Include a Clear Call-to-Action Statement

Always incorporate compelling CTAs to guide your audience’s next steps. A CTA statement could be as simple as “comment your thoughts below” to stimulate audience engagement.

Alternatively, use the CTA opportunity to introduce high-intent leads into your conversion funnel, such as signing up for a free trial or downloading a lead magnet, such as a template.

Person browsing an Instagram profile on their smartphone, with a focus on the screen displaying various posts.

4. Share User-Generated Content (UGC)

Encourage your followers and target audiences to share videos using or reviewing your products, which you can post on your Instagram page.

UGC provides invaluable social proof and encourages other Instagram users to interact with your content, boosting engagement rates.

5. Post Consistently

Create a content calendar that outlines what and when to post new content to keep your target audience engaged. Use the four main content pillars to ensure your posts are not monotonous:

  • Educational
  • Entertaining
  • Emotional
  • Inspirational

For example, if you usually share educational content, you can also share relatable memes or jump on trending topics every once in a while to humanize your brand and make it relatable to your target audience.

6. Collaborate with Instagram Influencers

Brands should pursue strategic partnerships with relevant content creators and influencers in their niche. This provides social proof for your brand, encouraging Instagram users to engage with your posts.

Also, it is an opportunity to tap into the influencer’s audience pool to help you grow on Instagram.

Two people holding smartphones and browsing Instagram side by side.

7. Incorporate Relevant Hashtags

Instagram hashtags boost your posts’ visibility and discoverability to new audiences.

If you are in the digital marketing niche, adding #seo and #digitalmarketing hashtags to your Instagram post helps promote them to audiences most likely interested in the content.

We’ll explore more insights about using Instagram hashtags in the next section.

Are you sharing great content but not receiving the expected user engagement?

Promote your Instagram profile on external platforms to get more people interested in your content.

Learn how to embed an Instagram feed on your website with SociableKIT. Our widget has a built-in Instagram feed embed code generator that simplifies how you set up and configure your widget — without writing any code. Also, you can use the automatic and manual moderation feature to control the content that appears on your feed.

Sign up for SociableKIT for a seamless way to showcase your best Instagram posts on your personal blog!

A person browses a gallery of images on their phone, selecting a photo on the touchscreen.

How to Improve Instagram Engagement with Hashtags

Surprising as it may seem, it takes more than posting insightful or entertaining content to stimulate audience engagement. Simple hacks like incorporating hashtags in your captions or scheduling your posts during optimal times influence audience engagement significantly.

Below are proven methods for boosting engagement on Instagram using hashtags:

  • Combine General and Specific Hashtags: Mix broad, trending, and niche tags to broadcast your Instagram posts to wider audiences while also targeting users interested in your content. 
  • Introduce Branded Hashtags: Create exclusive hashtags and encourage your followers to incorporate them when posting UGC. This helps your brand stand out, and increases recall value, boosting engagement and growing a loyal fan base in the long term.
  • Limit Hashtag Quantity: We recommend using three to five hashtags per post for optimal engagement. Hashtag stuffing often undermines your content’s readability, causing readers to disengage. Also, if you use too many hashtags, Instagram users are likely to perceive your posts as spammy and, hence, less likely to engage with your profile.
The Instagram app's home screen showing the “New Post” and “View Activity” options on a smartphone.

Instagram Engagement Tips to Stand Out in the Feed

Use our cheat sheet to grab users’ attention quickly and encourage them to interact with your posts:

  • Optimize Your Instagram Profile: Use a high-quality profile photo relevant to your brand. For example, small businesses can use their brand logos, products, or premises as the profile photo to boost credibility. Also, provide relevant business information on your bio, including your location and contact details.
  • Start with a Strong Hook: Use humor, startling facts, or storytelling to encourage users to stop scrolling and click on your posts. However, ensure the hook is relevant to the content and highlights the post’s value to your readers.
  • Use Trending Audios: The Instagram algorithm often promotes viral trends to increase reach and engagement. Incorporating viral audio or trends helps broadcast your posts to more feeds. However, ensure you stay on brand so you don’t tarnish your image or seem unprofessional.
  • Engage your Audience: Responding to your audience’s comments shows that you value their feedback, encouraging more users to share their insights. Additionally, your followers feel seen and appreciated, converting them into loyal fans.
Two people in a car, each holding a smartphone, scrolling through social media apps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Got more questions?

This section answers common questions about getting more engagement on Instagram:

What is the Average Engagement Rate for Instagram?

The average engagement rate for Instagram is 1.16%. This means that for every 1,000 people who see your Instagram posts, about 11-12 interact with them by liking, commenting, or sharing. 

However, this is only an average, meaning some posts might have higher or lower engagement.

What Are the Best Times to Post on Instagram for Maximum Engagement?

According to a recent study, the best time to post on Instagram for maximum engagement is between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Similarly, the best days to post on Instagram are Monday and Friday.

How Often Should I Post on Instagram to Boost Engagement?

There is no specific answer to how often you should post on Instagram to boost engagement. It depends on your Instagram content marketing strategy and the desired engagement rate. 

However, we recommend posting on Instagram at least three to five times weekly to provide adequate content for your audience without overwhelming them.

What Types of Content Generate the Most Engagement on Instagram?

Videos generate the most engagement on Instagram. Specifically, Instagram Reels stimulate audience engagement more than other video formats, such as Stories and native posts. 

Additionally, Instagram carousels generate more engagement than single-image posts.

Conclusion

Instagram is among the best tools to grow your brand’s visibility and engagement. However, you must have a good Instagram content strategy, including posting content regularly and engaging your followers in the comment section.

We also recommend using our SociableKIT widget to promote your Instagram feed on your personal blog. This will get your blog readers interested in your Instagram content and direct them to your profile for more engagement.

Create a SociableKIT widget and leverage your website traffic to increase your Instagram engagement!